The Sewell family of Lebanon earned honors recently as York County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Forestry Cooperators of the Year. This award recognizes landowners who practice exemplary stewardship in managing woodlands, particularly efforts to protect groundwater, animal habitat and forest health. The award honors sisters Nancy Sewell and Deborah Sewell Gardell, and Nancy’s son Nathaniel, who manages forestry operations. The Sewell family’s roots in Lebanon go back to 1809. In the 1930s, the family moved out of farming and into timber management. Although Nancy, Debby and then Nate grew up in a timber-growing family, the woods business was something of which they had limited knowledge until recently. The sisters are school teachers and had acquired ownership of timber lands left to them by their late father, Philip Sewell. They had relied heavily on their brother, Jonathan, who had assisted their mother, Barbara Sewell, in managing these lands until his passing in 2012. Jonathan’s death forced the family into a steep learning curve and Nancy admits to being “up a creek.” But Jonathan had set the stage well for successors, explained Nate. “Jonathan did an exceptional job. He sacrificed for the benefit of the land. He left the high value trees and cut the brush with the goal of improving the land with every harvest,” said Nate. Two years ago, the family attended some district-sponsored workshops on active forestry and conservation. As a family they were accustomed to the negative tone of public discussion regarding timber harvesting (“clearcutting” and “liquidation logging”). They were gratified to hear forestry spoken of as a positive influence on the economy, environment, and recreation. “We came out of that meeting feeling we had a huge responsibility,” said Nancy. “We felt the land has to be protected and we have to protect the water.” Having stepped into an active management role, they weren’t sure how the finances would shake out. “The first goal was to establish whether it was possible for the forest to sustain itself,” Nathaniel said. A forest management plan – which federal cost-share programs helped pay for – proved invaluable. It put down on paper the kinds of data their brother, Jonathan – a University of Maine-trained forester, had maintained in his head. These written plans included an inventory of soils, timber stocking levels, forest health and productivity, as well as a strategy for managing the woods with multiple goals. Much of the family woodlands resides in the watershed of the Salmon Falls River, a river that has come under increased scrutiny because of projected declines in water quality from development and other disturbances. The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service has pushed to improve forestry practices throughout the watershed. The Sewell land, in particular, “had a significant number of resource concerns that needed to be addressed,” according to Wayne Munroe, district conservationist. The family was eager to invest in best management practices for preserving water quality, which included building more eco-friendly roads, landings and bridges. “It was the Sewells active pursuit of conservation measures that earned them accolades,” said Munroe. “The biggest thing is the management plan,” Nathaniel said. “Without that, we wouldn’t have been able to responsibly invest back into the forest.” “What works in a spread sheet and what works in real life are two different things. All it takes is a frivolous lawsuit, extreme weather event, or the continued increase in taxes and decrease in stumpage to see the goal of sustainability go downhill quickly. You’ve got to pay close attention to how you manage it,” he said. “We think it is crucial to find ways to diversify into non-timber sources of revenue, ” he added. Last year, the Sewell family explored selling development rights to 3,300 acre parcel through the federal Forest Legacy Program, but ultimately decided to retain all ownership rights. Managing a woodlot in southern Maine according to sustainable forestry goals is a going to be a continual challenge, but the more Nancy and Debby learn, the more grateful they are for the legacy left to them. And they want to build on it. “Our goal is to create the best working forest in southern Maine,” said Nancy.